Small Sofas, Loveseats, & Settees: Pillow Sizing & Arrangement Guide

Small sofas, loveseats, and settees typically are less than 72 inches wide.

Square Pillow Sizing Recommendations:

Note: If you use 22x22 inch be careful on the quantity of pillows as they can overwhelm small furniture if there are too many. 

People often think that a small sofa needs small pillows, but we recommend against that. Small pillows provide little comfort and function and are often just for show (i.e., they end up being put on the floor whenever people sit down).  If you really feel your piece needs smaller pillows, we recommend you go no smaller than 18x18 inches.

Lumbar Pillow Sizing Recommendations:

As with square pillows, we recommend against going too small on lumber pillows.  We recommend lumbar pillows that are at least 12” high and no narrower than 18” wide.

Statement Long Lumbar Pillow Sizing Recommendations:

The width of statement long lumbar pillows and whether, or not, you can use one depends on how many square pillows you are using and how wide your sofa is. You don’t want to overload your sofa.

Pillow Quantity and Arrangement

The right pillow quantity is personal and varies greatly. Some people feel that less is more and prefer to have one square pillow at each end of the sofa. This is good if you prefer a simple, uncluttered look. You might find this is not as comfortable as two square pillows at each end of the loveseat. However, unless this is a seldom sat upon sofa you need to be careful to leave enough room to comfortably sit.

Is four too many, but two not enough? If you feel you need two square pillows at each end for comfort, but this overloads your sofa, consider an asymmetrical pillow arrangement. Three square pillows work particularly well if one end of the sofa is utilized more frequently.

At the end where people sit the most you can use two square pillows, then place a single square pillow at the other end. Another option is to pair a square pillow with a lumbar pillow on one end of the couch. 

Asymmetry is stylish, practical and can provide additional comfort.

The addition of lumbar pillows really depends on how the sofa is used and how comfortable the lumbar pillows are.

See our Pillow Insert and Cover Recommendations, Pillow Insert Sizing Guide and Pillow Insert Type Guide to ensure all of your pillows are stuffed properly to provide the look you want as well as the comfort you crave. 

For more arrangement tips and helpful diagrams check out our blog post on Small Sofas, Loveseats & Settees: Pillow Arrangement.  Subscribe & never miss a blog.

Tips for Sofas of All Sizes

Pillows provide comfort as well as the opportunity to bring more colors, patterns, and textures into your space. When mixing patterns, remember to vary the scale of the pattern. Textures are a great way to add interest without overwhelming your space with too many patterns.

When you layer pillows, the largest pillows need to be in the back. However, you can layer pillows of the same size; they do not have to be stair-stacked. For example, a 20x20 inch pillow could have either a 20x20 inch or a 22x22 inch pillow behind it. We recommend a two-inch difference in pillow size when layering differently sized pillows.

Regardless of the size of the sofa, pillows smaller than 20x20 inches tend to look skimpy. If you choose to go smaller, 18x18 inches is as small as you should go.

Lumbar pillows layer well with square pillows since they allow more of the pattern of square pillows to be seen. As with square pillows, you need to be careful on sizing lumber pillows. Lumbar pillows smaller than 12x20 inches tend to look insubstantial and can be uncomfortable. 

Now you're informed and ready to shop for your loveseat or small sofa, enjoy our unique collection of custom, made-to-order decorative pillow covers.

Our goal is for you to be well-informed, so that you're confident and ready to shop for accent, statement, and throw pillows that will enhance the comfort and style of your chairs, sofas, beds, and benches.

Already have fabric you love? With Customer's Own Material (COM) Pillow Designs, we can create your ideal pillow covers using your own fabric.  

Need help?
Check out our blog for useful articles on pillow arrangement/sizing and pillow insert selection or get in touch for assistance.